December Newsletter
December 14, 2017
PLTW Classrooms celebrated CS Education last week!
Last week we celebrated Computer Science Education Week! All throughout the country students were engaging in CS programming, including here in Massachusetts. Computer Science Education Week is typically held each year around December 9th in recognition of Admiral Grace Murray Hopper , a pioneer in computer science.

CS Week Classroom Spotlight
Students at Woodland Elementary are learning the foundations of computer science with Rosie's Runtime.
Students at Stoneham Central Middle School created apps as part of the Gateway module App Creators. They were able to combine their own interests with their new skills!
Students at Excel Charter High School programmed games using Python and Scratch. These projects were voted to be the best by their peers.
Mass STEM Hub Classroom Spotlight
This month we had the great opportunity to see several PLTW teachers in action. Design and Modeling students at Boston Prep were working on their foot orthosis projects. High school students in the Biomedical Science program at Plymouth South performing a cow eye dissection in Human Body Systems. At Plymouth North students were uncovering more evidence about the mysterious death of Anna Garcia in Principles of Biomedical Science as well as performing their visual perceptions lab in Human Body Systems. Students were actively engaged and developing team work skills that will prepare them for 21st century careers.
Boston Prep student group's prototype of a foot orthosis. Students used everyday objects to create a prototype that would be comfortable, durable, and easy to take on and off.
Students at Plymouth South High School completing a cow dissection lab. The lab allowed students to understand the structures involved in sight for a better understanding of how the structure of the eye allows us to see the world the way we do .
Student modeling their foot orthosis prototype to test for comfort. Students tested and refined their designs throughout the class to build their best product.
Evidence curated by students at Plymouth North following the case of Anna Garcia in Principles of Biomedical Science. With each new clue, students are able to investigate different concepts of biology and medicine as they explore various health conditions such as diabetes.
Teachers, are your students doing amazing things in the classroom? We'd love to hear about it! Share your students discovery moments with us and maybe their work will be featured in our newsletter! Email Faith .
Mass STEM Hub Student Gallery
Mass STEM Hub is seeking photos of exemplar PLTW student work to showcase on our website. The student work gallery will be a place where we can showcase student work from PLTW classes for other educators, as well as industry professionals.

If you have photos or videos of student work that you would like to share, please email them to fmcduffie@mass-stemhub.org with a brief description of what the photo shows. Please include: PLTW Course,Unit/ Lesson, and Grade.

We look forward to seeing the wonderful work your students are doing everyday!
Latest STEM News
Plymouth High School Student Explore Careers in Biomedical Sciences
Students at Plymouth High School had a unique opportunity to meet with the tumor board, a panel of doctors that access how the hospital will treat patients with various forms of cancer, at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital. " The students also met with the nurses, therapists and social workers who are a major part of the cancer care team,"providing them with an opportunity to see the various careers that intersect with their Biomedical Sciences studies. To learn more about their visit, read the article covered in the local newspaper.
Reminders:
Roster your PLTW students
Thank you to all the schools that have rostered. Over 65% of schools in the network are rostered and we are hoping to get to 100%. Rostering helps to inform our programming. If you haven’t already, please roster today!

When rostering, keep in mind:
  • Beginning and end dates are important to help us plan events and simplify survey administration
  • Accuracy matters—students must be rostered for correct courses and matched to the correct teacher
  • Roster all your students

To roster students, log into your mypltw.org account and click on "My Sites" to find detailed instructions.
Participate in the Project Lead The Way Survey
As part of our statewide PLTW initiative we are conducting student and teacher surveys.

The student and teacher surveys will increase our understanding about how PLTW creates engaging learning experiences that help students develop the skills required for success in college and careers. Further, the study will help Mass STEM Hub support PLTW teachers and students across the state by tailoring the opportunities to their needs.

Read the PLTW Survey FAQs or our website to learn more.
Please contact Faith at fmcduffie@mass-stemhub.org today with any questions.

To participate in this exciting project, click HERE
Follow Mass STEM Hub on Twitter and win a prize pack!
To be entered to win the prize:
1. Follow us on twitter at @Mass-stemhub
2. Tag us in a post about what's going on in your classroom!

It is that easy!

Use #pltwma to stay connected with all the lasts PLTW news in Massachusetts.

Can't wait to see what has been going on in PLTW classrooms around Massachusetts!
Upcoming Opportunities:
Information Sessions for Grant Application Part 2
If you applied for the Massachusetts PLTW grant opportunity and were selected to complete part 2 of the application, join us for an information session or webinar to get support with your application.

To register for an information session or webinar, click here
 
Session #1: Tue, Jan. 9, 2018: 8:30am- 9:30am at Worcester Polytechnic Institute    
(100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609. We will be in the Hagglund Room in the Rubin Campus Center. Attendees will be emailed a parking permit.)  

Session #2: Tue, Jan. 9, 2018: 3:00pm-4:00pm at Wareham Middle School
(4 Viking Dr, Wareham, MA 02571. Parking available at the school)

Webinar: Wed, Jan. 10, 2018: 2:00-3:00pm
Verizon Innovative Learning Labs
PLTW and Verizon are offering free interactive labs that will expose students to new skills such as coding, virtual reality, robotics and 3D printing.The labs will be offered one Saturday a month at the Boston Verizon Destination Store ( 745 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 ).

Below are a list of upcoming dates and topics:

2018 Labs:
January 20 – Wearables
February 24 – Music Mixing
March 24 – Coding
April 21 – Internet of Things
May 19 – 3D Printing
June 16 – Augmented Reality
Connecting PLTW Students to Industry
Mass STEM Hub will host several events for PLTW students throughout the state. If you would like to learn more about our events and how you can get involved, visit our website!
Mass STEM Hub Collaborative Teaching Prize
The first Mass STEM Hub Teacher Prize is for Interdisciplinary Student Projects based on PLTW coursework. We invite educators to develop or submit an existing lesson plan that connects a PLTW lesson to other disciplines (e.g., math, ELA, history). Lessons should reflect PLTW’s hands-on, rigorous approach.  Winning submissions will receive a prize of $500.

Submissions are due February 28th, 2018. To learn more, click here .
Classroom Resources
Student Scholarship Opportunities
As high school students begin to apply to college, we have complied a list of scholarships available for students looking to pursue degrees in STEM. To learn more about these scholarship opportunities, click here .
Mass STEM Hub Virtual Design Challenge
Teachers, are you looking for additional opportunities for students to develop their skills as future STEM leaders? Then connect students to the Mass STEM Hub Virtual Design Challenge! Students can submit their solutions to the design challenge and their designs will be judged by industry professionals.

To learn more about this opportunity, visit the Mass STEM Hub website today!
Additional Funding Opportunities
American Honda Foundation
The American Honda Foundation awards educational grants to schools with a specific focus on STEM programming. Applications for new organizations are due February 1st. Award amounts vary.

To learn more about this opportunity and apply, click here.
GE Additive Education Program
Applications for the GE Additive Education Program which awards 3-D printers to schools will go live at the beginning of January. Sign up here to receive information as soon as the application becomes available.

To learn more about this opportunity, click here.
Do you have an idea for student or teacher events? Are you an industry professional looking to get involved? Do you have a question about PLTW implementation? Are exciting things happening in your classrooms that should be shared in our newsletter?

Please get in touch by emailing Faith at   fmcduffie@mass-stemhub.org .
Have a question for Mass STEM Hub?
Email us at connect@mass-stemhub.org